The instant invention relates to the trapping of fur bearing animals such as muskrat, mink and raccoon. The instant invention is an article of manufacture (herein called a “bracket”) that has a number of applications in this field. In the long history of trapping fur bearing animals, a number of useful articles of manufacture have been disclosed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,523,690 discloses a holding device for animal traps comprising a body having two circular apertures and one elongated aperture. U.S. Pat. No. 1,660,719 disclosed a nonreturn link for animal traps comprising a body having a circular aperture and an elongated aperture. U.S. Pat. No. 2,275,737 disclosed a bent planar metal slide member having two circular apertures therethrough in a system for trapping fur bearing animals.
Generally, the trapper possesses multiple devices each serving a single purpose and to be utilized for a single trap type. The devices are stabilizing brackets, slide and drowner locks, terminal swivels and stake swivels. Such devices can be cumbersome, equate to a higher accumulative expense and often are inadvertently left behind when needed. Additionally, there is no easy way to stabilize a trap on an object such as a rock, a log, a culvert, etc., generally due to the odd shape of the object. Furthermore, trap manufacturers utilize different steel thickness, width and tang lengths making it extremely difficult to place a trap. For instance, traps with a longer tang that extends to the jaw edge (when set) can utilize a notch or crack in a log, etc., however traps with a shorter tang length cannot utilize such notches or cracks. It would be an advance in the art if a device were discovered that not only overcame the above mentioned problems but provided other benefits as well.